Heat indicator



.lV ZUBATY HEAT INDICATOR jun@ 89/ 929.

Filed Sept` 26, 1927 Patented .uney 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES g PATEN JOSEPH ZUBATY, or. ILINT, MICHIGAN, AssIGNoR To kAfef,sierra: PLUG COMPANY,

or FLIN'I, MICHIGAN, A COMPANY OFMICHIGAN. f

HEAT INDICATOR. "l, f

.f Appucationfied september 26, 1927. yserial No. 222,098.

This inventionrelates to a heat indicator and has particularly to do'with aheat indicating device of the type Ordinarily mounted on or in place of the radiator cap of an auto- One drawback of the heat indicators with which applicant is familiar resides in the fact that they are not readily visible to theyoperator at all times; Even in 'daylight it is some- 1o times not easy for the operator to be able to detect the change in color which accompanies the rise in temperature past the critical point. It is an object ofy they present invention to provide a heat indicator for use in a radiator cap which will be rendered clearly visible to the operator at night by the light from an approaching `car, or by the suns rays in the daytime when the car is moving toward the sun.

The object of the invention is accomplished by providing a heat indicating element in place of the usual cap of the radiator... This heat indicating element is preferably circular in form and is provided With a plurality of louvres. v The side ofthe kheat indicating member toward the chauffeur has applied thereto a coating of heat sensitive paint while4 at the opposite sidek the louvres are highly polished or formed into a reflecting surface. As the rays from the headlights of an approaching automobile or'of the sun strike the polished surface of the louvres the light rays will be reflected on to the heat sensitive paint surface and cause it to be rendered visible to the driver. f

The louveredheat indicator is placed at one side of the cap portion of the radiator,

preferably thereary side, and means is pro-k vided to conduct the vapors from the radiator to the heat indicator. .A novel mounting structure is also kprovided consisting of a tower having aslot at its rearwardly facing portion and this tower'projects from the radiator and has secured thereto a castingwhich holds the heat indicator. Suitable piping leads from thespace above the water level and returns to the overflow pipe, this piping passing through the slot,` in the towery and about the heat indicator. The casting has a erably ring shaped serving as a mounting for '34 and 36 ofthe tube'32 pass ythrough la notchl closurewhichmay be'` secured overthe tower 50 opening and this casting and closure takethe placeof the usual cap. v f Y n e Thisinvention is disclosedon the accom! y panying drawing in which: f f vFigure lis al viewlooking from the front y of ay portion of the radiator of any automotive vehicle (line 1-1 of Fig. 2) having my in-` vention applied thereto, with parts rshown in section. f

oncoming rays are reflected..y

Referring tothe numbered parts on the .65 y

drawing, l0 indicates the usual radiator of an automotive' vehicle having/a shell 12"andv an upper tank 14. The tank 14 is provided with theflangedextension 16 rigidly secured toa dome or 'tower 18 extending throughthe shell 70 12. y These parts are usual with automotivek vehicles and form nopart of the presentinvention. ,kf f

Secured'to'the tower 18 is a casting20 provided with a cover 22 yat( its upper portion 75 and thiscasting serves as a mounting or support for the heat indicating element indicated as a' whole at 24. The casting 20 comprises the right angled frame orextensio'n21 pref-v the heat indicator 24. y This casting 2O is also f 'provided withy an enlarged lportion 26 at its left hand `iside as viewedjin Fig.y 2 and this en-v larged portion is provided with two passages 2'8rjand L30 for the reception ofa pipe or tube y 32 having'an inlet at 34 and In outlet at 36. y

UThe outlet 36 terminates in theoveriiow pipe 88 of theradiator. The inlet and outlet ends or cut-out portion 44 in theftower 18, "this notch coinciding in position kwith theenlarged portion 26 of thek casting20. The upper portion, of the tube 32 is bent into circular form as indicated at 40 in' Fig. 1 and contacts with' a 'metal plate or? disc 42 forming .apart of the heat indicator. `The hot vapors from the Water in the tank 14 pass into' tube-32 at the inlet opening 84, around the circular portion Figure 21S a Sectiony on the une 2 2 Off Fig- 6o 40, and are discharged at the outlet 36 into the overflow 38 of the radiator. The heat' of the hoty vapors is deliveredtothe disc 42 as the vapors pass through the tube 32. l

The casting'20 may be secured to the tower `1d Vin anysuitable Way. The coverr20 is shoivn'as hinged at ,46 and provided ivith'a suitable latch as shown at 48. To fill theravrdiator,-the latchk 48 isreleased and the cover 22siv`ung on its` hinge 46 rWhich exposesthe opening in the tower 18.'v`

The upperportion 49 of the heat indicating Y element 24 is circular. in form although any other suitable shapemaybeused. Thetiibe is rigidly applied as shown at 50 to the metallic plate or disc42'rigidly secured asat 54rktothe lower or enlarged'portion 26 of the casting.v The/plate or discf4f2is provided withv a plurality of, louvres V56 and these `louvres as Well asy the flat kportion of vthedisc 42 are provided with af'coating58 'of any suitableheat sensitive Vpaint on the sidev toward the driver. Theopposite side 60 of the leurres is formedinto a reilecting surface, Y

thefpurpose bf r whichl isl to direct the light raysof lan oncoming-vehicle or of thesun downwardly on to the heat sensitive 'painty Vsurface 58. WhenL the temperature of` the vapors of the Water cooling system'rise's above the critical point for the heat sensitive paint,

` f the color thereof will change and indicate Vto the ldriver thaty the danger pointV has been reached. This change in colorWill be relldered more visiblefbyf the rays of .flight re-V flected from the polishedor reiecting surface Q60; as shown by the ydot and dash `linesr62 in Figure 3.r v

- The upper portion 41:9ofthe heatindicating-element is preferably Vprovided von both sides Withrabbets 64 for the reception of Windowsorrpices V of glass Y66, the purpose vof i; ywhich is toenclos'e the disc42 and to prevent the accumulation of dust and dirt Aonthe reflecting and painted surfaces and 5S respectivelyvlllie Windows,A 66 may obviously be readilycleaned. V.

The loii'vred'surace of theheat indicatorY does not iifi'terfere1 vvith itseficiency as ycompared with a plainy surface indicator. The louvred surface isf'gust as readily seen as a plain surfaceandhasthe added advantage of utilizing the'fretlected rays of the sun o r of kan* approaching vehicle or'of any other lumi-v nous body. f K y The operationof the device is clear from the foregoing' description.

I claim:

n 1. In'a heat indicator, n

dic'ator to which heat is applied,'meansfor conducting heat to the membei,means on said indicator for transmitting light from one side Vof the kmember tothe other, and Vmeans onf'said other yside to indicate temperature changes.

a member on said in- 2. Thecombination of 'claim l, said last named means comprising a heat sensitive paint applied to said memberv 3.' Thecombination of claim l, said second named means comprising louvres in said indicator. f

4. The, combination ofclaimil, said secondy named means comprising louvres in said indicator, said louvi'es having a reflecting sur;

face on one side anda heat sensitive paint on the opposite side.

5. InY an automotive vehicle including a radiator, a cap thereon including a plate havf ing av heat indicatingk surface on ,the side radiator, acap thercom an element on said cap provided Withlouvres, ,said element being provided on one sideivith a reflecting surface and on, the othersidev with. a heat indicating surface. y f A 8.. In, combination with an automotive r ,vehiclea heat indicator applied tothe radiator cap, a 'louvreddisc formingapart of said indicator, a tube for conducting vapors from the radiator past the disc, a heatsenV sitive paint on one side vof the disc adapted to change colorwlienthetemperature of the vapors reach a certain degree, and louvres in said disc toreflectlight onto the, paint side'. f 9. In combination With thel radiator of an ibo automotive vehicle,y a mounting member se- .f

,cured to the radiator, saidmounting member comprisinga right angled extension serving Vasa retainer for a heaty indicator, a` hinged cover onsaid mounting serving as avfclosure for thevvater opening of the; radiator, and

means to secure the nonfhinged side of the cover to the mounting. y n

l0. In combination Withk an automotive vehicle having a radiator, a domeon said radiator, aheat indicator secured to said dome comprising a frame, a plate mounted in said frame, means for transmitting heatl from `the radiator to'said plate, means on said plate vfor indicating heat changes,and' means in said plate for transmitting light from in front of the vehicle to said'lieat indicating means on the rear yside ofsaidplate. L

. 11. The structure of claim 10,' said indicatytor .and dome having conformable openings to accommodate the heat, transmitting means.

12., Ink combinationwith theradiator of an `automotive vehicle, a frame secured to the ice radiator cap, a heat indicatorl mounted inthe framey including means for conducting fluid from the radiator directly to the edge of the to the radiator cap, and means on said plate indicator and returning the fluid inside the for indicating temperature dierences. 10 radiator cap. 111.y The structure of claim 18, and means t 13. In Combination with the radiator 0f an for transmitting light from one side of said 5 automotive vehic1e,a circular frame secured indicator to the other side onto said temto the radiatork cap, a plate mounted in said perature indicating means. frame, a tube secured at the edge of the plate In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature. for transmitting fluid from and returning it f JOSEPH ZUBATY. 

